Snowfall
by Raiast
Summary: A little holiday rambling...It's rubbish


She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, welcoming the small flurries that grazed her face. She had been worried that it would be a brown and green Christmas--the weather had been unseasonably warm all month. But as she bid farewell to her friends, who were leaving for the Holidays, she was satisfied to find that the wind had turned bitter and cold, and storm clouds hung low over the grounds of Hogwarts.

To Ginny, it wouldn't have been Christmas without snow. She wasn't going to experience the stories and games in front of the toasty fire place, nor help her mother fill the Burrow with the delectable scent of gingerbread and ham. She didn't even get to be with her family this year: not any of her brothers--not even her mum and dad. She was stranded at Hogwarts, alone.

Ron and Hermione had skipped their last year of Hogwarts to join Harry on his epic quest--whatever it may be, and many of Ginny's friends had been pulled from school by their parents. Luna hadn't even showed up at all. Ginny hoped she was alright.

Death Eaters had invaded Hogwarts, pretending to be teachers, hired by Snape: the new Headmaster. That in itself was enough to make Ginny want to leave, but she knew that if she went home for the Holidays, she wouldn't be returning.

And she had to be there. It was terrible, but she had to be there. As much as she wanted to quit and spend as much time as she could with her family, she knew that as a Prefect she could do some sort of good.

And so she stayed. She stayed when Snape hired Death Eaters as teachers. She stayed as the students of Hogwarts were forced to learn the Dark Arts in place of defense against them. She stayed when the Carrows took over punishment and decided that it was more fitting to distribute the Cruciatus Curse to offenders instead of making them clean or do lines.

She stayed as, one by one, her fellow students and friends gave up and abandoned her.

Neville had promised to stand by her, but was begged to go home by his grandmother. He had given Ginny a tight hug before leaving, and swore that he would be back after the break. Ginny trusted Neville, but she wouldn't be surprised if she didn't see him again.

She kept her eyes squeezed shut tightly, pretending that the with the coming of the beautiful, white snow, Hogwarts would be purified. She opened her eyes to bitter disappointment. She was still alone, and the castle still looked foreboding and dangerous. Giving a heavy sigh, Ginny turned, intent on returning to her safe, warm dorm room. He stood on the steps, watching her with a dark expression.

"You're staying _here_?"

Ginny looked away: to the heavy snow-filled clouds, to the crunchy grass that was quickly turning from dead green to white, to the not-quite-frozen lake, and finally back to Draco Malfoy. "Yes," she answered softly. "I'm staying."

He looked incredulous. "_Why_?"

Ginny shrugged. "Where else am I supposed to go? Home? And then I'm stuck there."

"You don't want to be with your family?" he pushed at the snow-covered steps with the toe of his shoe, pushing his hands into his pockets. He looked up and met her gaze, curious and dejected.

"Of course I do," she sighed, moving closer and sitting on the bottom step, ignoring the cold and dampness that spread through her thin, shabby cloak. "But I can do more here."

"Do what?" he sat next to her.

A cold wind whipped around them and Ginny paused to pull the hood of her cloak up to protect her ears. The snowfall seemed quicker and heavier, falling in sticky clumps now rather than the delicate, single snowflakes it had started out as. "I don't know…" she answered softly. "Something. Help, in some way."

"I don't think you can help," he informed her, but he sounded just as hopeless and unsure as she did.

"I already have. When we learned about the Unforgivables…I mean…when we learned how to _do _the Unforgivables…" Ginny frowned at the memory. "He wanted someone to show the Cruciatus on…he picked Colin, but I couldn't…I volunteered," Ginny shuddered, and she knew fully well that it wasn't from the winter weather that surrounded her.

"I heard about that," Draco nodded, remembering. "I had forgotten that _you _were the suicidal little Gryffindor that volunteered to take the Cruciatus."

"That helped, didn't it? I mean…I like to think that it did. Taking that in place of someone that didn't deserve it…" she trailed off, looking over to him. The snow fell gently on his pale skin, and his cheeks were tinged pink with the cold. He looked beautiful in the snow, she realized. He blended right into it. She looked at him, a quick surge of jealousy flowing through her; she was _sure_ she didn't look anything short of a complete mess in beautiful, white snow.

"And you _did _deserve it?"

She looked away, knowing that he was completely right. "No," she admitted, sighing. "But it still helped. I still have to help," she felt her confidence and determination grow the more she thought about it. "There has to be a way," she stood, completely adamant now. "We can fight this. We don't have to…why give up?"

Draco Malfoy remained silent.

"Don't you want to try?"

He moved his head slightly, starting to nod but then stopping myself.

"Will you help?" she continued.

He looked up, meeting her gaze. "No," he answered, standing up as well. Her face fell, as if she was expecting any other answer. "I'm going home."

He turned and walked up the stairs. Apparently he was using a different form of transportation to return home. Ginny remained where she stood, feeling more alone than ever. He stopped in the doorway, turning back to her.

"I sure hope you can change things though. You've been doing alright by yourself so far…Happy Christmas, Weasley," he turned and went inside then, leaving Ginny standing in the cold, snow blowing all around her.

"Happy Christmas," she mumbled softly, although the great, wooden doors had already closed behind him.

---

She had gone inside not long after him, but she still shook with the cold of winter. She rubbed her arms as she walked, thinking back on what had just transpired between herself and Draco Malfoy.

She turned the corner to the Gryffindor corridor and found a figure leaning against the wall next to the portrait of the Pink Lady. Upon nearing the portrait, she found that it was Malfoy that lounged in the hallway, awaiting her, it appeared.

"I thought you were going home," she asked him softly in confusion.

"I am, but...I wanted to...give you this," he pushed something into her hand, and she realized that it appeared to be a very old book. It was worn, and the pages seemed fragile and yellowed. She checked the front cover, the spine and the inside pages, but there was no sign of a title. Ginny looked at him in question. "It's a book...it, it might help you," he continued.

Counter-curses, she realized as she skimmed through the first few pages. Spells of protection from very dark curses.

"It's complicated," he said suddenly. "The spells, I mean. ...And...everything else. Complicated," he repeated, looking away.

Ginny took another step forward and wrapped her arms around him. She broke the hold quickly, embarrassed by the gratefulness that overwhelmed her. "Thank you. I'll try...thank you."

"They'll help you...help everyone else. I guess it's...my way of helping."

"It helps a lot," she whispered, blinking back tears. "Thank you."

"Happy Christmas," he mumbled again. He then turned and walked away without another word.

His way of helping. He couldn't change who he was or what he needed to do. He was just as devoted to his family and Ginny was to hers. He couldn't rise against the Death Eaters that had taken over Hogwarts, but he _could _help Ginny as she tried her hardest to set things right again.

It must have been inside of him all along, she thought as she lay in bed that night. It must have been inside of him, fighting to get out. He always wanted to help, but didn't know how or even think that he could.

It was the snow. Ginny knew it. The snow was magical. It brought Christmas, and it made everything beautiful. The snow made things clean and pure, and as it drifted down upon Draco, it cleansed him in a way that nothing else could. Ginny saw a human in Draco Malfoy that day, brought out briefly by the small, white crystals that had fallen around them as they had spoken.

She pushed the covers off and crept over to the window, watching the snow fall over the grounds of Hogwarts. It glittered in the pale moonlight, and the beautiful scene nearly brought tears to her eyes. The snow was magical. It had to be.

---

Happy Christmas, everyone. It's rubbish, I know. Oh and sorry if it randomly switches to first person...I caught myself doing that twice, but I think I fixed everything. Again, it's rubbish.


End file.
